The 4 enemies inside you

Right now, your worst enemies are conspiring against you. They’re out to get you. Worse still, there are more of them than there are of you. You’re outnumbered, outgunned. But you can defeat you worst enemies. Here’s how:

1. Fear. The leader of the all of the enemies you face is fear. He’s a terrible foe, too. He can steal your breath and paralyze you where you stand. He can frighten you with the unknown and the uncertain. He can plant disempowering thoughts and beliefs so deeply in your mind that they grow roots that hold for a lifetime. But fear isn’t real. It’s only a small (albeit powerful) part of your imagination. You can beat fear by taking action in spite of being afraid. Once you’ve taken action in the face of fear, you’ve beaten it.

2. Procrastination. Fear doesn’t come alone. He almost always brings his partner, procrastination. Procrastination builds on fear. Since you’re afraid of being judged, afraid of being hurt, afraid of failing, procrastination lulls you into the false comfort of inaction. She whispers in your ear that there will be time later, even though she knows damn well that time lost can never be regained. Procrastination is a sweet-sounding but merciless adversary. You can beat procrastination by pursuing meaningful, dream-fulfilling goals. The passion you have for your goals can sweep aside procrastination in an instant.

3. Apathy. If procrastination doesn’t get you, her brother apathy will try to soften you up. Apathy goes to work sapping you of energy and enthusiasm. You can’t be passionate if you’re tired, cynical or pessimistic. These are the weapons apathy uses to steal your goals and dreams. You can beat apathy by keeping your energy high. A positive attitude protects you from apathy’s worst influence.